To the Editor,
Chamber of commerce executive director Mike Carter has publicly floated the idea of a plebiscite on a second crossing of Roger Creek. He also made the comment that a plebiscite may entice more voters to the polls on election day. I agree on both counts.
There has been talk of a second crossing for mor than 40 years but no real action taken to date. Maybe it is time to put the question of the crossing location to a vote and also determine what priority it should be given.
I have heard that in the last municipal election here the voter turnout was 27 per cent. That is pretty abysmal. With new candidates stepping forward and some high-profile projects proposed, the turnout will hopefully be higher this time around.
A plebiscite or referendum attached to the ballot would generate a lot more interest in the upcoming election. A referendum on some of these proposals would show what the majority of residents’ choices are and would give a newly elected council a sense of what their priorities should be and the direction they should be heading.
I would ask mayor and council to seriously consider attaching a non-binding referendum to the November ballot asking the following questions:
Which Roger Creek crossing are you in favour of? 10th Avenue, 14th Avenue, Tebo or a Cherry Creek Road crossing?
Which Echo Aquatic Centre concept option are you in favour of?
Would you support having a coal storage/shipping facility on the city’s waterfront (yes/no)?
Would you support having a coal storage/shipping facility located on the Alberni Inlet outside of the city limits (yes/no)?
Bill Randles,
Port Alberni